My Strava splits are off, especially the 3/4 mile marker. Strava says I went from a 1:33 (800-1200m) to a 1:06 (1200m-1600m), hitting the 3/4 mile mark at 4:13. Thats some crazy shit right there. I hope thats not true. I don’t remember any crazy night and day turnaround like that, it felt more like a smooth start to speedy 600m to slow fade to slight pickup at finish. I did feel sluggish for 100m in the middle, but it was a posture issue and I wasn’t running with my back perfectly upright and corrected it in about 50m. But, Strava was all over the 5th Ave website like it was a Strava sponsored race. I thought this data would be very accurate as if they had sensors at the splits. The data has to be wrong, but why is it wrong? I don’t understand. Still new to Strava. Is it a satellite issue? KMD - you didn’t record the race on your Suunto?
Were you using Strava to record your run, or a GPS watch? If the latter, then it’s the watch’s issue, not Strava. And if you were using Strava to record, then it would be your phone’s issue, not the course. My own watch was showing me fluctuating between 5 min/mile pace and 12 min/mile pace even though I also ran a fairly even pacing. I think it’s probably the combination of a) short distance, b) lots of people using GPS at once, and c) GPS technology in general that’s causing these gyrations.
YES - I had a lot less at stake (mentally) but kind of felt the same way myself. I remember very little of my own race since I was focused on not passing out and waiting for that hit-the-wall feeling, and then next thing I knew I was across the finish line. On the drive home it hit me that after all these weeks of training and anticipation, reading ACE’s daily food and exercise blog, getting a chance to meet/see two AF legends in person, running a world famous course, etc. it was over in an instant, just like that. At one point during the drive, I snapped out of it and noticed I’d been listening to static on the radio for the last 5 minutes since I was so deep in thought. Then a crazy idea crossed my mind…maybe I just might consider doing it again next year, ha!
Anyway, I gave some thought to the positives of the whole experience - learning how to train for speed and applying everything KMD taught me, setting a mile PR and seeing all my friends run, getting to meet KMD and see her run, catching ACE in action, and proving to myself that I can hit goals that seemed crazy just a few weeks ago.
Same - I remember during training I would run hard reps on the track and afterwards couldn’t feel my arms or catch my breath. At the end of the race I was breathing hard for a few seconds and then was fine. I felt like I could’ve run a few seconds faster if I had pushed a little harder throughout the course, but I was constantly afraid that I would push too hard and bonk out before the finish.
Also I feel a small amount of disappointment for KMD that she perceives that she didn’t achieve all the goals she set for herself. But I only have a minor bit of sympathy for the following reason. I got KMD and all of my friends running their heats on video, and for each of my friends, there’s a few minutes of extraneous video time where I had to turn on my recorder early to make sure I didn’t miss them since none of us had any real idea of where they’d be in the pack. For KMD, I knew she was going to be in the front contending for the win, so I only had to turn on the camera when I saw the pace car a couple blocks away. I can never hope to run at such an elite level, but it would still be my dream to be up there at the front of a race the way she was in bawss mode, with only a handful of other lightning quick runners around and no one else behind for a solid 20-30 seconds. That’s how far ahead of the masses she was. My own experiences with racing consist of getting stuck in between hundreds of people and either having to weave around the slow ones or getting passed by faster ones. That is the unglamorous world of being an average runner who’s trying to become a slightly better-than-average runner. KMD is living my dream!
The Smith was delicious. Really good time and good job to all who ran 
!
haha damn. average runner is definitely where im at. i didnt know that a couple of our runners is one of the few and the proud. respekt all
Ohhh ok yeah I was using my Garmin to record it. The watch seemed to function fairly well in the brief time I used it before the race, but you’re right it could be a bit of system overload or GPS technology limitations (especially with buildings around). Maybe I should have switched to Galileo satellites as they are probably in less demand.
Also, that was the first time I ran in the Garmin Saturday night on that 10K jog and after running it spits out these stats and it said VO2 max “excellent,” some other stuff, and then it has this time to recovery feature in hours and it said “30 hours.”
Not the best status update to see 11 hours before start time - haha, but I felt relatively ok, I thought. I certainly wasn’t constrained by any knee issues as once I got up to speed I was fine.
I think overall the 5th Ave mile is one of my favorite events - it’s just very well organized and having 22 heats makes every heat feel like a mini race in it if itself, which makes it special, versus running with all 7000 people at once. They definitely do a great job every year at the race.
Amen! haha KMD is awesome. 8)
More of this sort of thing please.
You two are awesome! After getting to know you both, it is even a greater compliment that you would have a high opinion of me.
ACE I found to be more genuine, introspective and easy going than his serious mirror selfies would suggest… lol. At dinner he showed up rocking a tank top and his skate board and I was done up with razor sharp bangs and my “fierce” red pants. I loved it! Come as you are! We were the best looking people there 
IHHM was the first runner I ever coached and I was trilled to see him break through expectations. He could have been completely self focused but he took effort to support the rest of us. #NotHacksaw.
I am really glad I was able to catch a glimpse of you both during the race… I cheered for you both!
I think you just blew up his rep.
ace, 10k, and greenie. right after she ran that at that instant, given the chance, would you let her sit on your face? extremely curious. leggo. - the blonde chick Olympian that you posted that 10-k urged you to post more of.
^ haha whaaaaat 
I’ve been running that race through my mind over and over again. In some ways I don’t know how I got a 5:19. In other ways I don’t know how I didn’t get at least a 5:17, seeing the clock. I saw the fucking clock tick away a new PR. I saw it from so far away, I thought I was golden. I don’t know why I didn’t run harder that past 200m. I was thinking of my speed plan for the last 200m for 1000m. Brutal. I definitely feel faster now and like the way races catapult you to gains through adrenaline inspired race day efforts. I’m definitely looking for some other races to compete in, but haven’t found any yet.
Anyone thinking about the 5th Ave mi for next year? I definitely had fun. Was good to know in spirit that the three of us were there for each other, all focused on the same event. That dinner + race format would be great for any other AFers to join next year or try to beat our own PRs. Not sure if I’m doing it next year, but I am interested.
Count me in! This time I’ll go to the right restaurant location.
Not a runner by any stretch of the imagination but I’d try it for the friendship. Where my 8 minute milers at???
1st place in the resting bitch face division goes to KMD!
hahahahhahaha
damn I guess I was dying!
